As per request.
Two weeks after Matthew (gunxtoxhead) was born, Miss Precious came to help take care of him. She had cared for his mother in her youth, and was deligted to be invited to care for the next generation. Miss Precious was an enormous woman with skin as black as pitch, she wore colorful mumu's, usually with matching turbans, and waddled rather than walked in her specially made orthopedic shoes.
She was in her 60's when she came to care for Matt, but she couldn't tell you exactly how old she was. Her own childhood was quite unpleasant, she was abandoned and raised in an orphanage, but this only strengthened her love of Matt's family. She came into the family years ago, and there she had remained. When there weren't children who needed taking care of, she would clean the house and cook. The family couldn't imagine parting ways with her, Miss Precious was as necessary to their lives as air was. She had lived in several different houses over the past 40 years, but they had all been inhabited by members of the family. She was getting a bit old, and had diabetes which caused her many problems. She came to care for Matt, but his family anticipated taking care of her in her declining years more than her really helping out much. She proved them very wrong.
When Matt would cry in the middle of the night, Miss Precious was always the first one at his side. When Matt's mother would reach his room, Miss Precious would shoo her away, telling her not to worry, to go back to sleep. As Matt grew and became mobile, the family assumed Miss Precious would never be able to keep up with him. They were wrong again. She could hustle that massive body of hers at unexpected speed when the need arose. And on days when she was feeling under the weather, Matt seemed to know, and he would behave himself and sit for hours at her side.
It was obvious that Matt loved Miss Precious dearly. At times his mother would fret, worrying that Matt loved Miss Precious more than he loved her. That was a somewhat justified concern, Matt frequently told Miss Precious that she was the bestest mommy, but he loved his mother too. Miss Precious was the one who was always there, with a cookie to ease the pain of a scraped knee, with a hug to soften the blow from falling off the steps. His mother was the figure that demanded more respect, who enforced the rules with a harder edge. She was harsh at times, and while it was never out of line, Miss Precious had a way of convincing Matt to punish himself when he'd done wrong and thus seemed nicer in Matt's eyes.
As Matt approached his teenage years, it became obvious that Miss Precious' health was worsening. There were days when she stayed in bed, not feeling up to getting up. On those days, Matt would hurry home from school, and would sit at her side all evening. They would watch Dallas together on the small tv in Miss Precious' bedroom.
She was a fighter though, she wouldn't let her poor health keep her down for long. She had lived a good clean life; had never smoked, had never had so much as a drop of alcohol, and her size was easily attributed to a metabolic disorder, because she ate healthy foods the majority of the time. She loved pralines, but pralines alone do not make a woman as massive as Miss Precious. Her diabetes she managed carefully. There were several times when the family was sure that it was Miss Precious' time to go, and she would rebound and be back on her feet within weeks.
When Matt's 18th birthday rolled around, everyone was quite surprised to see Miss Precious up at dawn, in the kitchen baking up a storm. She had probably passed 80, but that day she was a lively as any 18 year old. The family hadn't seen her like this in years. She was dancing in her own way, signing and grinning, bouncing all over the kitchen. When Matt came downstairs he was amazed. He hopped up onto the kitchen counter and sat watching her until she told him to get his behind in a chair like a proper young man. He moved to a chair, and continued watching her.
She came over and sat down next to him. She reached over and took his hand. "I's so prou' yew. Yew's a man, righ' propa naw. I loves yew, an I awl'ays love yew. I ain nuthin ba an' ole woeman naw, but dar's anuther ting ta make ah man, an' I'da be honowd ifn yew saw fit."
Matt knew what she meant. He was appalled in a sense, because he saw her almost as his mother, but entriged at her proposition. She was old, but in his eyes, Miss Precious was one of the most beautiful women on the earth.
"I's come to yew tonih, an' yew cahn desside," she said, and kissed him on the forehead. Then she rose and got back to baking.
The details aren't important. That night, Miss Precious made a man of Matt. He found bliss in her ample bosom, and joy in her still smooth lips. When the moment passed, she kissed him on the forehead again and left his room smiling.
Miss Precious didn't live long after that, she died in her sleep one night with no warning that she was ill. The family was surprised to learn that she had left Matt a fair amount of money, with instructions that he should use it to go to college and make her proud.
Matt, he knew she wouldn't live forever, but her death left him with a big old hole in his heart. He doesn't expect that it will ever be filled. Some nights all he can do is cry. He's doing his best to live his life in a way she could be proud of, but only time will tell if he can live up to those standards. He can probably do it. After all, he has the memories of Miss Precious to keep him on the right road.
She was in her 60's when she came to care for Matt, but she couldn't tell you exactly how old she was. Her own childhood was quite unpleasant, she was abandoned and raised in an orphanage, but this only strengthened her love of Matt's family. She came into the family years ago, and there she had remained. When there weren't children who needed taking care of, she would clean the house and cook. The family couldn't imagine parting ways with her, Miss Precious was as necessary to their lives as air was. She had lived in several different houses over the past 40 years, but they had all been inhabited by members of the family. She was getting a bit old, and had diabetes which caused her many problems. She came to care for Matt, but his family anticipated taking care of her in her declining years more than her really helping out much. She proved them very wrong.
When Matt would cry in the middle of the night, Miss Precious was always the first one at his side. When Matt's mother would reach his room, Miss Precious would shoo her away, telling her not to worry, to go back to sleep. As Matt grew and became mobile, the family assumed Miss Precious would never be able to keep up with him. They were wrong again. She could hustle that massive body of hers at unexpected speed when the need arose. And on days when she was feeling under the weather, Matt seemed to know, and he would behave himself and sit for hours at her side.
It was obvious that Matt loved Miss Precious dearly. At times his mother would fret, worrying that Matt loved Miss Precious more than he loved her. That was a somewhat justified concern, Matt frequently told Miss Precious that she was the bestest mommy, but he loved his mother too. Miss Precious was the one who was always there, with a cookie to ease the pain of a scraped knee, with a hug to soften the blow from falling off the steps. His mother was the figure that demanded more respect, who enforced the rules with a harder edge. She was harsh at times, and while it was never out of line, Miss Precious had a way of convincing Matt to punish himself when he'd done wrong and thus seemed nicer in Matt's eyes.
As Matt approached his teenage years, it became obvious that Miss Precious' health was worsening. There were days when she stayed in bed, not feeling up to getting up. On those days, Matt would hurry home from school, and would sit at her side all evening. They would watch Dallas together on the small tv in Miss Precious' bedroom.
She was a fighter though, she wouldn't let her poor health keep her down for long. She had lived a good clean life; had never smoked, had never had so much as a drop of alcohol, and her size was easily attributed to a metabolic disorder, because she ate healthy foods the majority of the time. She loved pralines, but pralines alone do not make a woman as massive as Miss Precious. Her diabetes she managed carefully. There were several times when the family was sure that it was Miss Precious' time to go, and she would rebound and be back on her feet within weeks.
When Matt's 18th birthday rolled around, everyone was quite surprised to see Miss Precious up at dawn, in the kitchen baking up a storm. She had probably passed 80, but that day she was a lively as any 18 year old. The family hadn't seen her like this in years. She was dancing in her own way, signing and grinning, bouncing all over the kitchen. When Matt came downstairs he was amazed. He hopped up onto the kitchen counter and sat watching her until she told him to get his behind in a chair like a proper young man. He moved to a chair, and continued watching her.
She came over and sat down next to him. She reached over and took his hand. "I's so prou' yew. Yew's a man, righ' propa naw. I loves yew, an I awl'ays love yew. I ain nuthin ba an' ole woeman naw, but dar's anuther ting ta make ah man, an' I'da be honowd ifn yew saw fit."
Matt knew what she meant. He was appalled in a sense, because he saw her almost as his mother, but entriged at her proposition. She was old, but in his eyes, Miss Precious was one of the most beautiful women on the earth.
"I's come to yew tonih, an' yew cahn desside," she said, and kissed him on the forehead. Then she rose and got back to baking.
The details aren't important. That night, Miss Precious made a man of Matt. He found bliss in her ample bosom, and joy in her still smooth lips. When the moment passed, she kissed him on the forehead again and left his room smiling.
Miss Precious didn't live long after that, she died in her sleep one night with no warning that she was ill. The family was surprised to learn that she had left Matt a fair amount of money, with instructions that he should use it to go to college and make her proud.
Matt, he knew she wouldn't live forever, but her death left him with a big old hole in his heart. He doesn't expect that it will ever be filled. Some nights all he can do is cry. He's doing his best to live his life in a way she could be proud of, but only time will tell if he can live up to those standards. He can probably do it. After all, he has the memories of Miss Precious to keep him on the right road.